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Winds of Change the Newsletter of The Winds of Change the newsletter of the May 2005 Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition E Huntington, WV www.ohvec.org Citizens FED UP with the WV DEP Agency Must Consider Needs of Coalfield Residents, Not Just Coal Barons On Feb. 10, although snow blew and temperatures dropped, about 40 people converged on the West Virginia Department of (so-called) Environmental Protection. We came to air our grievances to DEP Secretary Stephanie Timmermeyer, who had recently told state legislators that she was striving to speed up the mountaintop removal permitting process. Our action, organized by Coal River Mountain Watch and OVEC, was part of a multi-state, multi- group day of action against mountaintop removal coal mining. We were joined by French TV news, here to film a story about coal and global warming. We kept our convergence upon DEP secret, Coal River Mountain Watch volunteer Bo Webb gives new, as the last time we tried to meet en masse with true meaning to “DEP.” Timmermeyer (when she meeting with her via proper channels and said she would Grievances and fired Matt Crum), she got meet with us anytime we asked. (That’s funny, as that is not Demands Given to wind beforehand and what we found to be the case in the past – she prefers to DEP - see page 3 avoided us. This time, she have her underlings meet with us.) She denied she had told knew that we knew she was legislators, at a meeting about expediting mine permits, that in the building. We milled around in the lobby, waiting for she would speed up the permitting process, despite the Jan. her to agree to see us and singing a song led by singer/ 10, 2005, Beckley Register-Herald article, “Environmental songwriter T. Paige Dalporto. We were soon escorted back Chief Predicts Faster Permits.” Nine days after this meeting, to a meeting room, where we presented a list of demands. in “Timmermeyer Touts Faster Mine Permitting,” the Timmermeyer was angry that we didn’t book a Charleston Gazette reported: “Coal companies are getting new strip mining Inside permits faster and will continue to see the regulatory Summit for the Mountains ....................page 5 process streamlined under the Manchin Paper Trails for Voters ....................page 9 administration, Environmental Protection Secretary Mountain Justice Summer ....................page 13 Doing It Without Permission ....................page 15 Stephanie Timmermeyer told industry officials What MTR Gives Us ....................page 19 Friday… continued on page 3 1 Big Coal is Back, and Not For The Better by Dianne Bady In Raleigh, Boone, Kanawha and other southern counties, Big Coal is back. The first time they mined these areas, they left some coal behind in the mountains. Now they’re back, blowing up mountains and burying the hollows…for the good of the country, of course. Bush’s policies dictate that West Virginia people’s homes have to be blown up for Homeland Security reasons. We’re sad to see that newly-retired Marshall University football coach Bobby Pruett is starting a new job. Now he’s a paid spokesman for Friends of Coal, that down-home group run by a top public relations firm and funded by Big Coal. We sure wish the good coach would switch teams. Trouble is, our team can’t pay. Mr. Pruett’s father died of black lung and his father-in-law was killed in a mine slate fall. If coal mining had done that to my family, I’d be seriously peeved. Large portions of Raleigh County, Pruett’s home county, are being blown up or buried with what-used-to-be-mountains. If big swaths of my childhood county were now being obliterated, I’d be downright livid. It’s discouraging that Big Coal not only has the best politicians money can buy, they also can hire well-loved people to shill for them. People who can help Big Coal legitimize things like driving American citizens out of their ancestral homes because those homes are in the way of Homeland Security’s need for more, More, MORE coal. While Bush smiles and says he’s protecting America’s regular citizens, he’s also lying about how he’s encouraging renewable energy. Renewable energy companies didn’t pay for Bush’s election campaign. Fossil fuel guys did. West Virginia is the top state in annual pounds of explosives used within its borders. We’re also Number One in FEMA disaster aid. There is a connection here. Many coalfields folks realize that all those mountaintop removal mines on top of them aren’t doing them any good at all. In fact, the collapsing valley fills, the breaks in toxic sludge impoundments and the floods that wash away homes and kill people have all become a pretty big nuisance. How sad that “our” governor, and “our” legislative leaders are so busy pledging allegiance to Big Coal that they can’t be bothered to notice. After all, if they had to publicly notice that large portions of their state really are being blown up by outside elements, it could put a major dent in their next elections’ campaign coffers. Dianne is OVEC’s co-director. Michael Morrison: Super Volunteer! by Scott Straight Michael Morrison has been an OVEC member since 2001. He first learned of OVEC through newspapers and our work with the people living near the Ashland Refinery (now Marathon/Ashland). As with most members, Michael’s initial role was that of a donor – giving money, but not being able to do much more. However, he got more involved in the last general election – he helped OVEC register over 1,000 people to vote! We offered both an hourly wage and stipend per registration, but Mike refused both, volunteering his services as he always has. Mike said that he decided to get more involved because he was fed- up with the corruption that he saw all around him. Michael Morrison, left, shows what he thinks about Since the election Michael has really increased the MTR. OVEC staffer Abe Mwaura is at right. number of hours he volunteers. He hosted a house party, attended by about 12 people, which was both an outreach Treasures, and then discussed their thoughts, hopes and and fund-raising success! Party goers viewed Appalachian fears regarding mountaintop removal in West Virginia. Mike 2 continued on page 5 Citizens Fed Up continued from page 1 perhaps Timmermeyer considered the anger, frustration and “Timmermeyer told coal representatives that she is extensive problems her agency causes coalfield residents eager to work with the U.S. Army Corps of and water drinkers and air breathers across the state. Engineers on a new, streamlined permit process continued on page 4 approved by the Bush administration.” Coal River Mountain Watch told Timmermeyer they had asked the DEP for quite some time for citizen trainings Grievances and Demands to DEP on how to read permits, as well as for earlier citizen input (Thanks in large part to Coal River Mountain Watch into the permitting process. Many citizens feel that by the volunteer Bo Webb.) time we are allowed to comment on mountaintop removal Coalfield residents, members of Coal River permits, the permits are already a done deal. Someone asked Mountain Watch and the Ohio Valley Environmental Timmermeyer if she had ever denied a permit. Coalition gather today, Feb. 10, as part of a multi-state, After a pause, she said she was unprepared for the multi-group day of action against mountaintop removal coal meeting and couldn’t answer. Someone did remind her that mining. she had denied one in a northern trout stream. She noted We decry the West Virginia Department of that the company changed its application, and the permit Environmental Protection’s increased permitting for was granted. (That permit is under appeal.) mountaintop removal mines and we demand real input in One disabled former mineworker (sick from coal the mountaintop removal permitting process. A list of citizen prep plant chemical poisoning) described the dangers of grievances and demands: coal sludge impoundments. He knows – he helped construct r We are disenfranchised by DEP, left out of the permitting them. Timmermeyer promised to meet with him and a DEP process. engineer for further discussions. r We decry the DEP Secretary’s promise to legislators Timmermeyer agreed to hold citizen trainings, that she will increase and speed up the processing of perhaps see about getting citizens involved in the permit mountaintop removal permits. process and to look into the matter of a coal silo at a coal r We demand that DEP not just rubber stamp mountaintop prep plant very close to Marsh Fork Elementary, where r removal permits. several students and teachers have died from cancer. As we left, we thought that before sleeping that night, r We demand that impacts on human health and human rights be considered before mountaintop removal permits OVEC Board of Directors & Staff are issued. r We note that DEP is not promoting a healthy environment Board Members r LaShonda Bare, Co-Chair John Taylor, Co-Chair in the coalfields. Gregg & Melissa Anthony Jeff & Victoria Bosley r We note that DEP has a duty to protect all citizens of Greg Carroll David Duke West Virginia, including mountain people living in the Eric Fout Winnie Fox Larry Gibson Regina Hendrix coalfields. Dan Kash Thomas Kincaid r We note that TMDLs target reduction at inactive or Elinore Taylor abandoned mine sites and do not significantly reduce Full- and Part-Time Staff discharges from active mine sites. Why? Dianne Bady Janet Fout Vivian Stockman Maryanne Graham Abe Mwaura Tonya Adkins r We question whether DEP’s Notices of Violations to Scott Straight mining operations are being followed through on and OVEC Webmaster Don Alexander collected without negotiated deductions.
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